The Final Fight
by IdeaGuru
Summary: Picking up right after The Last Jedi, the resistance is failing. With only a handful of people with limited resources, Rey struggles to master the force; revive a dying movement, and decipher the bond she and Kylo share. Kylo, rising to the position of Supreme Leader, grapples with maintaining control of the First Order and of himself in the fight between light and dark. ReyLo
1. Chapter 1

This is my first and probably my only Star Wars story. Just writing for fun to see where I can take it- may or may not respond to reviews, questions, comments. It picks up right after The Last Jedi. I'm not a huge SW aficionado or familiar with everything in the canon so if there is something that just plain doesn't make sense, let me know. Thanks!

Rey turned over in her stiff cot uncomfortably. It was the dead of night and what remained of the resistance was fitfully sleeping off the events of Crait as Chewie rocketed the Falcon towards the only beacon of hope they had; a craggy outpost on the far reaches of Jakku.

 _Home._ Could she call it that any more? The Falcon was her home now.

In the dark corner of the room, she saw BB-8's lights faintly pulse, glowing bright and then fading back and forth, Poe's hand on its top resting protectively. A quiet beeping echoed in the hot, small space from the machines that were monitoring Rose's condition. Rey didn't know the girl but she'd heard a little from Finn and Poe about the past few days and she admired the girl for her spirit; she was dedicated to the cause, and to Finn. Her chest moved up and down rhythmically but slowly- she was not doing well but she would survive.

Finn, sitting slumped against Rose's bunk with his head on his chest, grunted in his sleep across the aisle and Rey shifted, facing the wall again trying to untangle the knot in the bottom of her stomach. She couldn't escape the vision of Kylo Ren, his eyes burning into her as she made her escape not a day ago.

She had felt the air ripple around her as she clanked up the ramp hurriedly. It wasn't possible, was it? Snoke had said himself that he orchestrated the bond and now Snoke was gone, dead, with no possibility of tying them together anymore. Her heart raced as she spun around to face him, hair sticking to her sweaty skin, panting, praying that this was a trick of the mind or exhausted paranoia

He was there, but he wasn't. As their eyes met, Ren's fury crackled along her body, igniting her blood; making her hair stand on end as she stood in the doorway of the ship. His face was crumpled into a furious scowl, his jaw clenched tight in anger. He looked like he had something he wanted to say to her, but she was gone before he had the chance to make a move. The memory left a hollow feeling in her heart of defeat and sadness; Ben was lost again. She had distantly hoped against hope that there was some lasting good in him, some light that could overpower the dark someday, but she felt that hope fading the farther she distanced herself from him. When he decided to succeed Snoke, she was finished with him.

Disgust washed over her as she heard his voice ringing in her head again. " _End it all. Join me."_ Her heart skipped a beat, the dark side tempting her to take his hand and seize the raw power that was offered, it was terrifying. Again she felt the loneliness that ached through her that night on Ahch-To in the cave and she felt like a fool for letting Kylo- no, Ben, he was Ben in that moment- know how empty and alone she was.

Something scurried across her feet in the dark and it startled her from her thoughts.

"Ah!" Rey bolted upright and slammed her head on the bunk above her. "Oh!" Her ears were ringing and suddenly everyone in the room was on guard.

"Who's there!" Finn shouted into the dark, on his feet with his fists raised towards the door, his back to Rey's bunk, shielding her from any possible intruders. The dim lights flickered on in response to the movement and he turned and blinked groggily at Rey, muscles still tense and confused.

"It's just me." Rey groaned, rubbing the forming knot on her forehead. That really hurt. She shifted the scratchy brown-grey threadbare blanket off her toes and let out an exasperated sigh. "Porgs…" she huffed under her breath. The small, furry, wide-eyed creature looked up at her and chittered emphatically before scurrying down underneath the bunk.

"Keep it down, would ya?" Poe grumbled from the corner, BB-8 whistling concernedly from underneath his arm. "I'm trying to sleep." He rolled over on the makeshift bed he had and threw his lumpy pillow over his head. Rose's machine beeped steadily in the uneasy silence for a moment as Finn regarded Rey and Rey stared at Rose. She could feel his eyes boring into her as she zoned out again.

"Are you okay?" Finn sat down on her bed and leaned his elbows on to his knees, looking concerned.

"Fine," Rey said dismissively. Finn wasn't going to accept that, he started to open his mouth to say something but she quickly cut him off. "I'm not sure I want to go back to Jakku." This wasn't entirely what was bothering her but she was unwilling to touch on anything else bouncing around in her head.

"Neither do I but we need new ships." He sighed. "And more people." They were both doubtful that they would find people on Jakku willing to abandon all to join their ragtag bunch. With everything that had happened lately, it felt like they had already all but lost. They were down to one, old and rusty ship, about twenty people, and no answer to their distress signal. The losses had been great and it showed on Finn and Poe's faces. "So, you're a Jedi now?"

Rey was pulled back to the conversation, her eyes whipped up to meet Finn's. "Hardly." She was frustrated. "I only trained with Master Luke for a few weeks. I feel like I can barely control this thing inside me, this force."

Her face was calm but her eyes belied the terror that she felt. Every time she attempted to connect to the light, the dark was there to call her. "I need to know more but I'm scared." Finn put a hand on her back.

"I saw you move all of those rocks out of the way. You saved everybody in that tunnel. Without you, we definitely wouldn't have made it." He looked at her wide-eyed. "If there is anybody out there who can do this, it's you."

She smiled a small smile at him. "I'm happy to see you."

The ship shuddered a little and they both jumped to their feet. "Pitstop?" Finn looked at her with a mix of excitement and concern.

"Stay with Rose. I'll go find Chewie." She was out the door before he could say anything differently. If she wasn't going to sleep, she might as well be doing something useful. The ship was starting to bustle, many people must have been woken up by the jostle and were looking for direction on what to do. As Rey slid past people milling about, they looked at her with a mix of awe and humility. It made her uncomfortable and she quickened her pace, boots pounding on the metal grid floor, up to the deck.

Chewie roared when she entered the bridge, he was excited to see her awake. A porg sat faithfully on his shoulder, chirping away at three more who were scurrying around. He didn't seem to mind and all but ignored their commotion.

"What's going on?" She breathed. The air was crisp in the cabin, silent fans circulating new, cold air into the ship as the stars zoomed past. Outside the black abyss was streaked and speckled with multicolored lights of gases and fire. Every few seconds a piece of debris or an asteroid would pop in and out of view. They were traveling slowly, or slower than normal. They must be approaching something.

The General was in the corner, her hands folded elegantly on the table and a calm look on her face. Rey had not had much of a chance to talk with her after the news about Luke. Her heart ached for Leia and all of the loss she had gone through, Rey knew what it was like to be without a family.

"We've received a response to our coded recruitment signal on our way to Jakku. We'll be sending a team down to investigate shortly." Leia sounded older, wearier than she had a few months back. She was as powerful as ever, but the spark in her seemed to have dimmed a little bit. She pulled up the holomap and beckoned Rey to come closer. There was something Leia wanted to talk to her about, she could feel it; see it in the curve of her mouth but it wasn't fully formed yet. The pit in Rey's stomach grew heavier and she hoped it wouldn't be about Kylo Ren as she slowly waltzed to the table, peering down to see blue and white data points whizzing by.

Footsteps echoed down the stairs behind her and she could hear Finn and Poe shuffling their way through the small crowd. As Rey stood above the worn table thankful for the abated conversation, Poe bound through the door.

"Are we stopping?" He addressed the General in a casual manner. Finn ambled in behind him, stopping at the doorway to allow the small bumble of porgs to scramble down into the hall. The noise level dropped considerably and Chewie let out an audible, relaxed sigh.

"We are." Leia pointed one graceful jeweled finger to a seemingly empty space of map. It enlarged, once, twice, three times. "There." It was an asteroid about 10 times larger than the Falcon, hiding in the shadow of one of the many moons in the area. "There's an old mining base on this asteroid that has long been out of use but several hours ago we received a transmission asking for a meeting."

"Bad idea." Poe scowls, hands flat on the tabletop next to her making the holomap quiver more than normal. "It's risky and it's a trap. We don't have the people to spare on something like this. Where were these people when we needed them? It's a trap."

"The First Order is also still recovering from their losses. Snoke is gone which leaves the position of Supreme Leader in question. Kylo Ren has assumed it for now but the confusion won't last long. We need to strike them again while the iron is hot." She stared him down with temperance. "We still need these people and they need us. Poe, when we land at the base, you and four of your team will go and scout it out. We'll keep ready back here in the event something goes wrong."

He seemed shocked at the news that Snoke was gone, exchanging a side glance with Rey for confirmation. She had been there, what did she see? Rey kept a straight face, brows furrowed and back tense with her fists on the table, showing nothing. Did Leia know that it was actually Kylo Ren who had killed Snoke?

Finn stepped forward to the table, "I'll go." Leia nodded.

"I'll go, also." Rey sat up from the table. She needed to expel the anxiety she had, maybe getting out there would do the trick.

Poe stared Leia down. "If this goes tits up, we'll be in and out in a flash. Do you have a map of the base?" She tapped the holo a couple more times, sorting through the data.

"This is the best we have. It's old, but it will work." She unplugged a small chip and handed it over to Poe. "We don't have the highest quality tech here so you'll need to take BB-8."

"Wouldn't dream of it otherwise." The faintest sly look slid over his face. "Round 'em up, boys!" He started to march off and added as an afterthought, "and, girls." Chewie grumbled at him.

"Chewie, I need you to stay with the ship. You're the only one who can fly this hunk and get us out of here if things go south." Poe pulled his gun from its holster and checked the ammo cartridge quickly before clipping it back into place with a couple sharp snaps and bounding down the steps. "Be back soon."

"Finn," The General looked at him firmly. "Make sure my team comes back."

Finn shot a quick glance at Rey and a sharp salute to his leader before following after Poe, his boots clanking down the steps and fading into the hum of the ship.

"You, stay." Leia leveled a look at Rey. She was calm but there was something in her eyes that told Rey she wasn't going to get away with any bullshit. "I want to know what happened on Snoke's ship." She stood from the table and strolled to the wide window to the left of Chewie.

Rey took a deep breath, her big brown eyes trained on Leia. "I went there hoping to change Kylo Ren's mind and bring him back to the light." She swayed almost imperceptibly as she shifted the weight of her body from left foot to right foot, anxiously. "It was a naive decision. I wanted to believe there's still some good in him but…"

"Ben has been gone a long time." Leia cut in, turning around, her dusty lavender robes flowing and her mouth set in a hard line. "I don't blame you for trying. There is something special about you, I can feel it. The force connects all of us, you and me; you and Kylo Ren." She took a few sure steps forward, leveling her shoulders with Rey's. "It is both helpful and dangerous. I believe Kylo Ren will take every opportunity to use it to destroy you."

Chills went down her spine and she remembered the interrogation from the first time she had met Kylo Ren. She felt the hot tendrils of the dark side crawl over her mind as he tried to manipulate her, the clarity when she pushed back against him. Did Leia know about their bond? Did she know about his offer to her?

 _But, he isn't totally gone…_

"Ben killed Snoke." Rey offers up to Leia, defending him almost involuntarily. She can't tell if the woman is surprised by this or not. She thinks she sees something in her eyes but then it's gone. The control panel beeps. They're here. Rey looks to Leia but she is already leaning over the datapad, evaluating and calling shots. She leaves, hustling down the grated stairs feeling no less relieved that she told someone about what happened with Kylo Ren.

The air is cold and wet but Kylo Ren feels hot with anger. He paces back and forth in the imperial cabin on the Finalizer. His boots click sharply on the black floor, only making him angrier. An offending vase on the desk catches his wild eye and he grabs it viciously, slamming it into the wall behind the desk shattering it into a hundred pieces. It's not enough but the sight of destruction brings him closer to center as a bot speedily rolls in to clean up the mess.

The events of the days before play through his head over and over. Fighting Luke; killing Snoke; fighting with Rey and fighting against Rey. The thing that burns him the most is the look in her eyes as she ran.

He wasn't expecting anything when he made a desperate grab at her through the force. He was spiraling: Luke had tricked him, the rebels got away, his army was air around him bubbled and suddenly she was there. Her back was to him, her breathing ragged. Sweat dripped down her neck and her hair stuck to her skin. The air was salty, she was still on Crait somewhere but he would never find her in time.

He swore that he saw her flinch as she turned around and locked eyes with him- disbelief, fear and something else he couldn't center on. Something that made his heart race and his adrenaline spike. Kylo didn't know how to feel in that moment, the vision of her leaving in panic, and the rage bubbled up inside him again. How dare she!

 _That woman…_ He snarls internally, taking a sharp breath. Her face lingers in his brain; her large brown eyes; her hair wild from movement; sweat rolling down the bridge of her nose, her lips open and cheeks flushed from exertion. He felt the roils of fury deep in his body as he remembered the look in her eyes as he offered her his hand. She had rejected him. She had embarrassed him. She had made him fail.

Something in him sank with dread every time he relived the memory. He was so hopeful that she would say yes and grab on to him, so sure that the one person who seemed to understand him would understand this too: an end to the loneliness. He wanted the fighting to end, he wanted to stop killing people but the resistance had to give up in order to make that possible. She just didn't see it the way that he did; she could have had it all and he would have had...

"Supreme Leader." The voice was slimy with a hint of sarcasm.

"What do you want?" Kylo Ren growled low as the cabin's doors wooshed open and Hux strode in. Hux's eyes traveled to the bot that was still sweeping up the shattered vase and then to Kylo with a glimmer of smugness on his face. Kylo's hand twitched reactively, itching to squeeze the man's throat and be done with him.

"We'll be landing on Cantonica shortly for supplies." Hux's eyes wavered between submissive and spiteful. He was an ugly man, Kylo had decided, knowing that Hux was constantly plotting and planning for only himself. He was sloppy and it was easy for him to see that it wouldn't take much to invade his mind and make him a brainless puppet. "I believe the generals of the Order would like you to address them with an update, many of them are anxious to meet with you..."

"You'll do it." Kylo reached for his new helmet. It was heavy in his hands, heavier than the last. The black metal shone, even in the cavern-like glossy black room. His fingers carefully traced the chrome outlined eye plate. He had yet to put the helmet on and he wasn't sure why he hesitated.

"What?" Hux choked out. "But Supreme Leader, the other generals would not listen to me." His skin was whiter than normal. Kylo knew that he was sending him into the snake pit. Hux had his share of good fortune on the battlefield and he understood the game of war, but he was no politician. The other generals did not respect him when he was Snoke's lapdog, they certainly wouldn't respect him now that Snoke was gone.

Kylo had decided that if he were going to rule, he was going to do so from afar. It was time to end this madness like he had told _her_. He meant it. As it stood the First Order knew neither that Snoke was killed by his hand or that Skywalker was dead. The only way to accomplish this was to stay one step ahead of the leadership of the First Order. His rule would undoubtedly be questioned after these recent failures and the death of Snoke and he needed to take advantage of the upset before he lost the opportunity; the more distraction he could create now, the more time it would buy him.

"You positioned yourself to be my right hand, now do it." He bit out at the red-headed man. "Or should I ask someone else to take your place?"

Hux said nothing as he turned and left, two guards in tow. Kylo was thankful for it. He couldn't stand the man but he was easy to manipulate and he had the resources he needed for establishing himself.

He leaned over and pushed a key on the datapad languidly. "Get my Silencer ready."

"Yes, Supreme Leader." A voice rattled back immediately.

He spun on his heel, helmet tucked under his arm, and clipped down the halls of the Finalizer to the hangar for his craft. He needn't take any clones with him, this was one trip where it would be best alone and with great stealth. He climbed the few stairs into his black, bi-winged ship, the door sealing with a hiss behind him. Everything was as he left it, ready to carry him forward. The air smelled clean and sterile and it gave him a small comfort. This was his ship and he knew it like an extension of himself. Settling into the captain's chair behind the large red glass, he loaded up the datalink. Kylo Ren was off to find the one person who might know where the resistance was hiding and he knew she would be found easily.

"Where to today, sir?" His nav system chimed.

"Takodana."


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you for the great feedback on last chapter. Here is a shorter chapter. Again, any big discrepancies that are really bad, please let me know. Thank you.

...

The mining base is dark. Only the dim, flickering emergency lights remain on. The heat is barely working and Rey shivers in the icy air. Her skin prickles with goosebumps and she can feel the tiny hairs on her body brush against the thin fabric of her robes, designed for the hot and arid desert. The only sound they can hear is the ragged breaths as they adjust to the cold, dark space, muscles tense preparing for an ambush.

There was garbage everywhere: paper, cloth, rock dust, discarded helmets and light sources. It was highly possible that this place was abandoned in a hurry, which was not a good sign if whatever scared the previous inhabitants may still be lurking about.

"What are we doing here?" Finn hissed at them nervously. He'd been in worse situations but the atmosphere of the abandoned building with the mysterious occupants is a new level for him.

BB-8 beeps and whistles at him and rolls off down the hall and around the curved corner. The normally quiet, constant thud of his body echoed in the dark grey circular chamber as he _whirred_ away quickly. Poe tenses watching his robot rumble away, cursing something under his breath and he turns around to waive his team on with one hand, the other hand gripped firmly on his fully loaded blaster.

Lieutenant Kaydel Ko Connix had decided to tag along with the blessing of General Organa, she followed Dameron swiftly and fluidly down the hall, her feet silently gliding after him rustling neither paper nor debris. Rey swung her head to look at Finn to ensure he was still coming but a smudge of something on the wall behind him caught her eye. Quietly, she brushed past him to evaluate the foreign substance and was alarmed to find two finger smears of dark, fresh blood on the doorway leading back to the loading dock where an electrical panel had been pried off recently. Wires hung about, a small green and black device nestled among them with blinking lights that looked foreign and secondary, and below the box on the floor was a tiny puddle of oily looking blood mixed in with the errant mineral dust that littered everything in the hall. It reminds her of the throne room on the Supremacy, guards downed around her- their blood on the slippery black floor.

The atmosphere grew heavy around her abruptly and she whipped her head sideways startled by the change. It was fleeting but she swore for a moment that Kylo's all too familiar figure would show up in her periphery.

"This person's hurt." She whispered dazed and disjointedly to the team, her quiet voice echoing down the hall a few meters as she pointed to the blood on the wall and floor.

"Rey?" Finn said in a hushed tone, unease etched into the set of his jaw. She blinked at him, feeling the air equalize again.

For a brief moment they exchanged concerned glances, Rey inspected the tangled wires and puddle of blood for a second more before turning around and locking eyes with Poe.

"We should keep moving." She waltzed forward in the direction of BB-8, avoiding a toppled fire extinguisher and some errant tools as the robot beeped and chittered at the group. "In and out, that's right."

Crackling of loose electric lines and buzzing emergency lights rattled around in the acoustic hall, guiding them closer to what signs described as the mining control room. They passed doors that were lodged open with more rocks and crates, leading to unknown areas of the building. Rey thought she spotted a boot attached to a leg peeking from behind one of the slightly ajar doors but she looked away as she continued to follow the trail. The blood looked human at the very least, and not too much where this person would be unconscious, she hoped.

"How do we know this isn't a stormtrooper or someone else who's waiting to kill us?" Finn tumbled a little over a downed piece of pipe, arms flailing as he tries to regain his balance.

"Weren't you a trooper?" Poe's eyes dart back to him exasperatedly from his half-crouched position at the front of the group.

The smell hit them before the sight did as they turned into a corridor with several tunnels branching off: burned flesh and blood. It was unmistakable. The stink of incinerated hair and melted skin was familiar to them.

"Ugh!" Kaydel gagged and coughed a little bit, her large, oval eyes looking distressed at the odor as she held her hand to her nose and grimaced. Finn's nose wrinkled in response and he subtly brushed at his lip, uncomfortable with the stench. The closer they got to this person or thing, the stronger the smell became and Rey was suddenly less convinced that this person was still living.

"It's this way." Poe motioned, leading them down a hall to the northeast. At the entrance, another panel had been broken into in order to get the door open. Dusty, faded plaques on the wall let Rey know that this hall lead to the captain's quarters and the armory.

A brisk walk down the dark walkway and they found themselves in a ransacked room that had boxes and crates tossed and scattered around. Glass littered the floor though it was difficult to tell where it came from and wires hung loosely from the ceiling where fixtures had been. The room smelled strongly of dust, chemicals, and burnt flesh. A pained groan gurgled from the far corner behind an overturned shelf and Kaydel leapt towards the sound, looking to help.

"Lieutenant!" Finn snapped but she disregarded him.

"Someone help me get him up!" She barked at the rest of the group, sliding cargo and metal away from the stranger. Finn rushed to help her but stopped dead in his tracks and jerked his blaster up threateningly at the sight of the person behind the debris.

"Back up!" He ordered Kadel loudly. "Back UP!" She reeled back as if she had been slapped and scrambled out of the way, not wanting to be on the receiving end of Finn's blaster fire. "Put your hands up!"

"Finn, what is it?" Rey moved to approach him but he held an arm to hold her back. Her eyebrows came together in confusion and she held up her staff in preparation for something terrible to happen.

"P-p-p-p-please, Finn. It's not w-w-w-what you think." A calm voice stuttered from the corner. "I want to help."

"Like hell it's not what I think, you betrayed us you scum. I should put an even bigger hole in you right here." Finn sneered at him, charging him cautiously with the gun raised, his brows furrowed in hatred. The man didn't flinch but looked wearily at him, he desperately needed medical attention.

BB-8 beeped loudly and angrily in agreement.

"Hey, roundy." The man said with half-hearted amusement.

"Finn, buddy, what's going on?" Poe looked alarmed but his voice was level as he slowly moved closer, putting himself slightly between Finn and the stranger crumpled and wounded in the corner. He'd never seen Finn get so aggressive with someone like this but he knew there had to be a good reason for it.

"He sold us out. You, me, General Organa, the whole fleet of resistance fighters…" He didn't take his eyes off the man. "For what? Money?" He spat at the man, disgust rolling off him in waves.

Rey peered around Finn to take a look at the stranger. He didn't look threatening to her, slouched in the corner, legs extended and hands raised in a pacifying gesture. He was older than they were with dirty brown hair and a worn, salt and pepper unshaven face. His hands were bloody, still wet from tending to his wounds. Most of his pants were burned away or burned into the flesh of his legs, it was hard to tell, but the clothes he was wearing looked like they were expensive. However, Rey got the impression of someone who was slightly reptilian. Human, she thought at first glance, but definitely someone she would want to keep at a distance.

Finn leveled his hands on his blaster, prepared to shoot if the injured man made one wrong move. "This is the codebreaker Rose and I found on Cantonica, DJ."

...

"Any information?" Kylo's deep, silken voice rumbled in the small cabin, a certain danger in the tone he used as he stared down the hologram. His elbow rested on the black padded arm of the high backed captain's chair, chin on his palm as he flew through the stars towards Takodana.

"None yet, sir." A man replied briskly. "We have ears on all available channels are working on sorting through the encrypted channels as fast as possible. We have our best team on it but for now, it seems that Leia Organa is sitting quietly." Kylo frowned. Leia Organa was not an idle person, she was always plotting and strategizing for the next big move.

And yet, there had been no sight or sound of her or the rebels in days. The galaxy was wide, but the reaches and ears of the First Order went far. There was always something, a whisper, a rumor- it had been a very long time since the resistance was able to maintain a presence off the grid. Had he dealt them such a blow that they were unable to recover? How many members of the resistance remained? Not many, he assumed. It wouldn't take much to snuff them out, but he had to find them first.

The tall man sat up straight in his chair, feet flat against the textured floor of the Silencer. His handsome face was mired with discontent.

"Look harder." He bit out sharply to the glowing face before ending the call, sick of the incompetence of his supporting staff. Incompetent… Snoke had called him this often, finding his weak spots and twisting sharp barbs into them, making him stronger and immune to the weaknesses of the heart.

Kylo Ren was glad that Snoke was dead. After the years of humiliation and browbeating, the nonsensical ramblings, and the many pointless missions and the lies, he was finally free of his collar and leash; able to truly flex his muscles and run the First Order the way it ought to be ran- right into the ground. He would succeed where Sidious, Snoke and, most of all, Vader had failed: eliminate the Jedi, restore order to the universe, maintain control of the galaxy. No more bureaucratic leaders causing chaos over money and power, Kylo aimed to centralize the seat of leadership and rule the galaxy- alone.

 _Don't do this Ben. Please don't go this way…_

"Get out of my head, Rey." He groaned into the darkness of his ship. He was alone in that moment, she wasn't there and that gave him both relief and an off feeling in the pit of his stomach. _Rey…_ Kylo squeezed his eyes shut uncomfortably, his hands gripping the armrests of his chair, trying to center his thoughts.

The air seemed to bubble around him, changing the pressure in his head ever so slightly.

" _This person's hurt."_ He heard her whisper quietly, no louder than a breeze.

"Rey?" Kylo's heart skipped a beat, betraying him for a moment as hopeful. Did he call her? Was it really still there, this force connection that they had? There was no response. She was gone again.

All of his thoughts were now on her. His scar on his face burned as the memory of how he got it flooded back to him, skin ice cold from the snow but sweating with exertion. She had bested him twice now but it didn't send him into a spiraling fury like his other losses had. Instead, he felt a pang of something akin to pride, he had underestimated the fire in her and it only made him more curious. He _almost_ wanted to speak with her, talk about what had happened in the throne room, try to convince her to change her mind and join him.

 _You're nothing, but not to me…_

Rey had chosen her path though. She couldn't see the end of the tunnel with him, the need for order and the end of the duality between the Jedi and the Sith. Then he was conflicted again, she had chosen the path of the resistance and helped them escape; she had hidden Luke Skywalker from him; she had refused his hand.

The creeping admiration in his heart was quickly overshadowed by the icy sting of loneliness he felt. Alone in his cabin in deep space, his face lit by the dim red lights on the control panel, Kylo's body seemed to fold in on itself ever so slightly, crumpling into a solitary visage of sadness and self-inflicted loss.

"Sir," The nav system buzzed. "Takodana."

"Take me down." He stood and flipped a few switches on the control panel, setting the coordinates, and embraced the speed of the descent that slid through his body as he approached the grassy land. The last time he was here he was decimating yet another rebel base; the time before that he was enjoying a drink with Han Solo as a young man. Kylo felt nothing at the thought of Han. He gripped the saber at his belt, checking that it was securely attached before standing to grab his helmet from where it sat on the cot behind him.

The ship shuddered as it made contact with land. It was time. He hesitated over the headpiece for a moment, his hand lingering on the shiny surface. He knew she knew he was coming so there was no need to hide. Kylo exhaled and turned sharply, the fabric of his cloak swishing behind him as he left the helmet behind.

...

DJ was cuffed, fingers forced apart, and dragged onto the Falcon after the team had determined it was all clear and that he was the source of the transmission. Not minding his injuries, Finn roughly shoved him down in the tiny brig. DJ hissed in pain, eyes screwed shut and teeth ground together. They had stopped the bleeding from some of the shrapnel wounds but the burns would need some serious work at the hands of someone who knew what they were doing.

Rey was still wary of the man but she felt a small amount of compassion for him. Finn had shot her a disgusted look when she recommended that they attempt to bandage him up and refused to touch him or help in any way.

"You," Finn jabbed his blaster at him. "Stay here until we decide what to do with you. And you better hope it's not me."

Kaydel Ko was on the first round of watching him, ensuring that the renegade master codebreaker didn't fiddle with anything in the cell or pull a fast one by trying to escape.

"Finn," Rey hissed at him sternly. "I know you don't like him but he needs medical attention." She stopped him, grabbing his shoulder and leaning into him nearly head to head to speak lowly. "He will die with those burns if he doesn't get some help."

He looked like he didn't want to hear what she was saying, ready to turn away and ignore her.

"Lieutenant Connix, please call for someone to look at him while he's in here." The words were bitter in his mouth. Better that DJ dies than they waste precious resources on him but that was the way of the First Order. He was better than them, at the end of the day. Connix nodded in response and Finn stormed off, unhappy to have offered help to the man.

"He's a traitor!" Finn spun in the small white-grey room, his hand landing firmly and loudly on the table rattling the glasses of liquid resting on it. The kitchen was quaint, when not filled with anxieties. Rey had spent many days and nights sitting at that very table chatting with Chewie, or even with Han Solo when he was alive.

"Maybe but he says he can help us." Poe looked sorry to be on the opposing side from Finn but he had a point. In the shuffle back to the ship, DJ explained that he had experienced a change of heart- a real one- the First Order had left him to die on the Supremacy, bleeding and burned. They thought he had betrayed them as well, in some fashion, leaving him stranded and without an ally.

"Sounds like he needs our help more than we need his." Rey chewed on her cheek a little, looking first at Poe, then at General Organa. Leia frowned at her pensively. She had to do what was right to protect the rest of her crew but also make sure that the resistance rose again.

"He has access to ships," Dameron argued back. "Money, resources, things we're in short supply of right now. I don't like the guy but we need what he has."

"People died because of him." Finn's voice was pleading. He had seen what had happened as a result of DJ's choice firsthand. He could not support sustaining the betrayer.

"How did he get on to the mining base? This could be a trick." Leia stood from the table, steadying herself as she climbed over the seat to look at the holomaps again.

"He stole a cruiser, took it as far as he could away from the First Order but it ran out of fuel. He landed on the base and knew that if he could patch through to us we might come and get him." Poe fiddled with the edge of the table with his dirty hands. His nails were chipped and his fingers calloused from repairing his x-wing. "He's a… wanted man by many _interested_ parties."

"So let's turn him in!" Finn raised his arms in frustration, miffed that they were even thinking about letting him stay. "We can sell him to the highest bidder and use the money to buy supplies." His eyes widened as he realized what he just said. "Oh, Rey, I- I'm sorry…"

She rolled her eyes at him from her spot against the wall. She was a spectator in all of this. Conflicted because they needed the connections this man had but at the cost of disrespecting the deaths of so many resistance fighters.

"Poe is right," Leia spoke up. "We need to see if he can access these resources before we think of alternatives. This is war." Her eyes were grave as she stared down Rey with an intensity she had not experienced before. "We do what we must."


	3. Chapter 3

Hello all, this was a hard chapter to write (written and rewritten a few different times) so it's a tiny bit shorter than the others but I hope you enjoy it.

…..

The ground is soft under his feet. It's warm on Takodana; the air is herby and refreshing. Not hot and arid like Tatooine or Jakku or Crait, but just warm enough to be comfortable in what he's wearing. Before him, all he could see were broken trees, upturned soil, and the crumbled carcass of the great and ancient Maz Kanata's castle. He strolled forward, crushing plants and flowers underneath his heavy black boots. The wind blows softly, rustling the trees, and his long, dark hair brushes against his cheek and the base of his neck. He had always liked it here. It was green, calm, and the people who passed through the pirate's haven carried with them interesting stories and rare artifacts from the far reaches of space and time.

In another life, had he not been the heir of Darth Vader himself, Kylo Ren could have seen himself living here and setting down roots on the lush shore of Nymeve Lake. But that was another life, one not meant for the Supreme Leader and Galactic Emperor. The last time he had been here, he was set on destroying the place until he had what he wanted- he felt the same on this trip, prepared to do what it took to find the answers he was looking for.

The castle really was gone. Bits and pieces of the once great building still remained, making it recognizable to anyone who had been there, but the bombs tore it through to the point of pure waste. He remembered having his first taste of beer here, in the vibrantly noisy and colorful halls of Maz's pirate den. Han Solo and Chewbacca had laughed dryly when he spit it out and made a disgusted face, Han clapping him on the back with pride.

" _I'm more of a liquor man myself." He chuckled in Kylo's memories._

Kylo Ren clambered over a large fallen portion of the southern wall. Beneath the historic stones, he saw the mangled arm of HURID-327, Kanata's groundskeeper, crushed and rusted. The loadlifting droid had been there long before him and was a staple of the great property but he felt no remorse for the loss, this was another stepping stone on his way to reuniting the galaxy.

Small rocks tumbled away as he climbed and maneuvered, he knew that Maz would be in the castle waiting for him when he arrived- he could feel her through the force somewhere down the path. It was much easier for the small orange woman to get around in the rubble for as old as she was. He passed through the shadow of a crumbled wall, broken glass and dry, splintered wood crunching beneath his feet. He looked around once more at the fallen structure, he could feel the old woman's eyes on him but did not feel threatened.

Maz Kanata was easily 1000 years old, she had lived and fought in countless wars, experienced every kind of person there was to meet, and been places people had never been and never would go again. She was small, but she had the spirit of a warrior.

"What do you see?" She shouted down at him from atop the remnants of her statue in the middle of the rubble of the courtyard. Her voice was loud but underneath it Kylo could hear the weight of the losses she had dealt with in the span of her life.

"The beginning of a new galaxy." He answered honestly, his deep baritone voice filling the emptiness of the mangled courtyard.

"As do I," She peered down at Kylo Ren from quite high up, her glasses comically enlarging her eyes as she blinked at him. "But what kind of new galaxy do we see, young Ben Solo?"

He could not tell if she was goading him or not. He had know Maz Katana for a very long time, his whole life. Everything she said and did was said and done with purpose. He did not answer her.

"I feel you are conflicted, Ben." The name struck a nerve the second time. There was no Ben Solo anymore, only Kylo Ren. "You move with intention but not direction."

"I do not answer to you, Maz Kanata."

"No," Her voice was old and worn, the thousand years of her life coloring her tone. "You answer to all of us and the resistance will hold you accountable for it.

"Where are they?" Irritation and rising anger rested in each syllable. He had no time for her games this day. The longer he took to find the resistance, to find Leia Organa, the stronger they could become. It was time for this war to end and that meant moving and acting quickly.

"Far from here." She scrambled down the stone spryly and crawled up a rock so she was nearly eye to eye with him. She moved as if she was a child; quickly and nimbly. "But you know that, you can feel that. What else can you feel, young Solo?" Her head cocked sideways as she peered at him.

"I sense in you that something has changed, you've grown lighter. But that doesn't make sense. What you did to Han..." Maz was pensive, curious now. It had been faint but she definitely felt something different in the heart of Ben Solo when he landed on Takodana. She inched closer to him, eyes wide and unafraid, as she reached up to touch his face. "Someone…" She whispered. She was getting too close. On instinct, his hand tensed and sprung up in front of him and he felt the force grip Maz's throat tightly.

Maz reeled back stunned at the action, eyes panicked, her small hands trembling as they grasped for her throat. Everything happened so fast. Suddenly he was angry, the dark force raging inside him as he lashed out at the tiny woman. The air around him felt swollen and thick as he clenched his jaw and tried to calm down and regain control.

"Stop prying and tell me where they are." He warned menacingly, his voice dangerously low. His other hand gripped the saber tightly, knuckles turning white while he loosened his grip on Maz slowly, still holding her off the ground.

"Kylo Ren." A bitter voice echoed too closely behind him. His heartbeat stuttered and Kylo dropped his arm immediately, freeing Maz.

Her eyes were wild with anger. Normally doe-eyed with curiosity and wit, they held a fire in them that burned through his core. He stood for what seemed like minutes on end, just staring at her, drinking in her fury. She looked tired underneath the anger. Her shoulders were hunched just a little bit more, her eyes marred by light grey circles beneath her long, dark lashes. Rey's full, pink lips, set in an indignant line, were chafed from the desert wind and her chewing on them.

"Where are you?" He finally asked her. His voice felt thick in his throat. It was the first thing he'd said to her since the throne room and he regretted it. He wanted to ask her why she didn't come with him; why she chose _Leia Organa_ over him; if she was still lonely; if she was tired of running…

"You disgust me." She spat. His pulse spiked, heart pounding and blood racing with anger again.

"I am trying to unite the galaxy and you and Leia Organa and her band of rebels are tearing it apart." He snapped back. "I am trying to end this war."

"You're wrong." She shook her head. "You oppress people, enslave people, sell people for weapons and power; and if they disagree with you, you kill them for it." He could sense their bond slipping and he tried to focus harder on keeping her in front of him. He needed more from her.

"I thought there was some good in you, I thought you would turn but know I know you're committed to the dark side." Her voice broke with betrayal, eyes wet and distrustful.

The air was hot now, the sun beating down on his dark robes, the wind had stilled and the planet around him was eerily silent in contrast to his chaotic thoughts. The sun was shining on her too, making her pale skin radiant in the glow; her amber eyes caught the light in a way that made them seem molten and vibrant. Her muscles were coiled underneath the same threadbare robes from days ago, ready to come out swinging if the need presented itself.

"You were wrong Rey." He was softer towards her now, willing her to believe him. How could she not see he was right? He took a cautious step towards her. She watched him carefully, trying to back up but unable to do so. Wherever she was, she was in a small enough space where she was against the wall. "And you're still wrong, about me and about the future." He took another step and then another until he was right in front of her. Their eyes locked on each other and he could feel the body heat radiating off of her. Kylo wanted to reach out and touch her, he wanted to feel their skin touch and spark once more like it had beside the fire that night, but he didn't dare allow himself.

"You will stand with me, Rey. I know this to be true. I have dreamt it." Kylo Ren's voice was quiet and he let the words hang between them for a moment. "Are you still lonely?" The question came tumbling out of his mouth from deep in his subconscious. He had never intended to ask her that.

Her lips parted ever so slightly as if to answer him and then she was gone.

He blinked. Once, twice. No, she was gone. He had lost her again and the feeling was just as painful and frustrating as before.

…

It felt like morning to Rey. Having been in space for so long now, she had lost track of day and night until they landed on a planet and she was able to reorient herself. She hadn't slept properly in what felt like weeks, her muscles fatigued and her neck struggling to hold her head up. After Kaydel Ko, Rey had volunteered to watch DJ hoping to give Finn some space away from the hated prisoner and Poe the opportunity to sleep.

She sat on the chair that had been brought down and slouched a little. Her head felt too heavy and her shoulders too tired to sit up straight so she half leaned on the cool, white exterior of the brig. It was a small area. One holding cell and a few full body suits for evacuation in the long thin room.

"Thank y-y-y-you." DJ stuttered through the bars of the cell, still cuffed and sat against a wall. He was bandaged now, cared for as best they could on this ship with the supplies that they had, or perhaps cared for as best as they felt he deserved. "I know you. You're the girl who gave Kylo Ren his scar. The g-g-g-girl from Jakku."

"Don't speak." She didn't want to hear about Kylo Ren. She didn't want to think about him in that moment, she had done enough of that lately and it was time to think of something else like how to get more resources; or how to master the force without a teacher. "We're going to Jakku and you're going to get us the ships that we need. After that, Finn gets to decide your fate."

He looked gravely at her as she stared him down on the outside of the cell before he nodded and laid down. It wasn't long before she heard him snoring steadily. In the warm room with the quiet vibrating hum of the engine and the rhythmic gentle rock of the ship, her eyes began to get heavy.

The chaos from the last few days caught up with her as her weary brain tried to piece everything together in the still moment. Her heart seized at the memory of fighting alongside Kylo Ren, never had she felt more powerful than in those moments. Watching him gracefully maneuver between assailants, feeling through the force that he was fighting for her and supporting her. And when it was over everything fell apart again.

Her blood began to boil and her heart began to ache at the memory of his outstretched hand. The look in his eyes as they melted from admiration to greed made her stomach turn and roll. How, how could the darkness have pulled him back so quickly? The question was rhetorical, in some ways, as she knew the call of the darkness; she could feel it tickle always at the back of her subconscious mind. However, she also knew that in the end, it offered nothing to those who accepted the call.

Rey remembered the feeling of the cave mirror on Ahch-To, the endless loneliness that would never provide an answer. Eyes closed with her head against the wall of the jail cell, her memories skipped to her seat at the fire in the middle of the night. Kylo Ren sat across from her and listened intently as she shared what she had found at the bottom of the pit, the center of darkness on the peaceful and balanced island. The air became dense and sweet, her cheeks flaring, as her fingers burned pleasantly at the thought of their hands touching and it made her crave the touch again, much to her chagrin.

A panicked gagging noise rattled in the small corridor, jolting her from her rumination. Her head snapped up to look at DJ, sleeping obliviously and without care on the ground of the cell.

"Stop prying and tell me where they are." A dark voice demanded. Rey whipped around to look towards the door and took in a sharp breath at the sight.

"Kylo Ren." She snapped in revulsion. His hand was raised in the all too familiar force chokehold

He turned to face her, eyes wide with surprise.

Kylo Ren regarded her for a moment. His face remained steady, molded in apathetic ire, but his eyes flashed as different, indecipherable emotions raced through them. He looked worn, his robes the same from days before. Dark spots lingered under his deep brown eyes, his hair was unkempt, and his jaw muscles were locked together, pressing against the scarred but healing flesh of his cheek.

"Where are you?" He asked her unwaveringly. She felt his energy swirl around her, light then dark, crashing over her like waves. It was dizzying, in her state of absent energy, and only made her feel more resentful of him.

"You disgust me." It was the first thing to leap from her lips and she felt a twinge of regret after it escaped. She had wanted to ask him so many questions. Why did he change his mind? Why did he kill Snoke for her? What was his plan now? His brow furrowed and his lips settled into a disdainful frown.

"I am trying to unite the galaxy and you and Leia Organa and her band of rebels are tearing it apart." He snapped back. "I'm trying to end this war."

"You're wrong." She shook her head. "You oppress people, enslave people, sell people for weapons and power; and if they disagree with you, you kill them for it." How could he not understand everything that the First Order had done already? Was he so power hungry that he refused to acknowledge it?

"I thought there was some good in you, I thought you would turn but know I know you're committed to the dark side." Her voice broke with betrayal, tears burning at her eyes. She had felt it on and on, the yearning in him to accept the light and live the life of a Jedi. Yet, time after time he pushed it away, and time after time he was rewarded only with more loneliness.

"You were wrong Rey." He was calmer, calling her back to his familiar and almost comforting self that he had been the night by the fire. He took a cautious step towards her. She moved to take a step back but felt the cool panel of the wall through her shirt. She was trapped but felt that he would not make a move to hurt her. "And you're still wrong, about me and about the future." He took another step and then another until he was right in front of her.

She didn't know if she should try to reach out to touch him or try to skirt away. This was the closest he'd been to her in a long while and it made blood rush to her face. Her heart thundered in her chest, a mix of nerves and anticipation. Rey stared him down eye to eye, her full lips set in a firm line of non-compliance. He was still just as handsome as she remembered him, even after so much had changed between them. Ben Solo was still in there somewhere.

"You will stand with me, Rey. I know this to be true. I have dreamt it." Kylo Ren's voice was quiet and he let the words hang between them for a moment. She took a sharp inhale in through her nose in disagreement. He was wrong, she had seen _him_ join her. But if both of them saw the other, what did that mean?

"Are you still lonely?" The question was quiet and sincere in his deep voice.

Her heart skipped a beat.

"I…" He was gone. She had blinked and suddenly their connection was no more. Rey shook her head slowly but sense eyes on her. Turning, she locked gazes with a captivated DJ and her stomach sank with a nauseous feeling.


End file.
